January

Tuesday 1st. Jany. 1811! —
The Inhabitants of this Colony through the medium of a Committee consisting of Mr. Bayly, Mr. Blaxland & Mr. Hook, presented a very handsome flattering address to me on this day being the first anniversary of my assuming the Government of N.S. Wales. — Made an Excursion on the Water on the New Barge wt. Mrs. M. Mrs. OC. Col. OC. & some other friends, after the address was presented. — The Lt. Govr. & Mrs. OC, Judge Advocate, the Magistrates & Civil Officers of Govt. dined with us today in honor of the Anniversary afore alluded to. —

The Police Regulations recently framed for the Town of Sydney were this day first established and carried into effect; Mr. Darcy Wentworth having been appointed Supt. of the Police. —

Tuesdy. 8th. Jany. —
I set out accompanied by Mrs. M., Secry. Campbell, Capts. Antill & Cleaveland, and Dr. Redfern, to Parramatta & Windsor, to visit the new Townships –; which having done, I returned again to Sydney on Tuesday morning the 15th. of January. —

Appendix or Supplement to First Tour of
Inspection through the Colony: —

Tuesday 8th. Jany. 1811.—
Set out this afternoon at 4 P.M. from Sydney with Mrs.
Macquarie in the Carriage and accompanied by the Gentlemen of our Family, and
arrive at Parramatta at a quarter past 5 O'Clock to Dinner. —

Wednesday 9th. Jany.—
Set out from Parramatta at a quarter past 6,O'Clock this morning, and
arrive at Government Cottage at Windsor at a quarter past 9 O'Clock to
Breakfast. —

Thursday 10th. Jany.—
Immediately after Breakfast this
morning, about 9 OClock. Mrs. M. and myself in the Carriage, attended by the
Gentlemen of our Family, the Surveyor, the Revd. Mr. Cartwright, Mr. Cox, and
several other Gentlemen set out from Windsor to view the intended Scite [sic]
for the Township of Castlereagh – proceeding thither the near way through the
Woods by the South Creek. On arriving on the Heights along which the Township
is intended to be erected, we found a number of the Inhabitants & Settlers of
the Nepean River District waiting for us. We all proceeded on Horse-back to view
the Grounds, which are beautifully situated, fronting and overlooking the River
Nepean, and having a full view of the lofty Blue Mountains to the westward of
that River. The Great Square in the Center of the Township having been marked
out, the Name of it – "Castlereagh" painted on a Board! was nailed to a high
strong Post and erected in the Center of the Square, the more clearly to mark out
the Situatation [sic] of the Town: The Burying Ground also, about a quarter of a
mile in rear of the Square and the principal Streets, were marked out by Strong
Posts by the Surveyor. — Having thus marked out the Township of Castlereagh, we
next proceeded to that of Richmond; and having again minutely examined the Ground
there, the Scite [sic] of the Church, School-House & Burying Ground were marked
out by Strong Posts put in the Ground by the Surveyor, to define more clearly
their respective limits. — The Great Square in the Center of the Township and
the principal Streets, were also marked out in the same manner by the Surveyor.
The name of the Town, painted on a Board and nailed to a strong lofty Post, was
put up close to the beautiful Bank, immediately above and overlooking Pugh's
Lagoon and the adjoining rich low Lands, where it is intended to erect the Church
of Richmond.

I have fortunately been enabled to fix thus the Situation of the Town of Richmond
on the most eligible and convenient Spot of Ground that could be found in the
whole Country, from the circumstance of having got Mr. Nicholas Bayly to
relinquish to the Crown a small Farm belonging to him here about 150 acres (for
which I give him 300 acres as an Equivalent in another part of the Country) and
Wm. Bowman, a Settler, relinquishing also about 25 acres (– for which he receives
Sixty acres elsewhere as an equivalent) adjoining to Mr. Bayly's Farm; their
Grounds being most beautifully situated running along the top of a fine Bank out
of the reach of all inundations, and along which Bank the Front of the new
intended Township is marked out, the depth thereof extending backwards into the
Public Common. — After marking out and naming the Township of Richmond, and
accurately Surveying the whole of the Ground on which it is to be erected, we
returned home to Windsor between 4 and 5,O'Clock, and had a large Party of
Friends to Dinner in honor of the occasion.—

Friday 11th. Jany. 1811. —
Having sent my Horses across the River at Windsor to meet me opposite to
Blighton, I proceeded to the latter place in the Carriage with Mrs. Macquarie
this morning immediately after Breakfast, in order to survey the Townships of
Wilberforce and Pitt Town once, and to mark out their limits; being accompanied
by the Surveyor and several Gentlemen. — Leaving Mrs. M. at Blighton I crossed
the River in a Boat, and mounting my Horse rode through the Phillip District to
survey the Scite [sic] for the Township intended for this part of the Country;
and having finally fixed upon the proper Ground, and the Great Square, Burying
Ground, and principal streets being marked out by the Surveyor with Strong Posts,
the name /Wilberforce / being Painted on a Board was nailed on a high Post and
erected in the middle of the large Square in presence of a great number of the
most respectable Settlers in this District. — I then recrossed the River to
Blighton to join Mrs. M. and having rested there a little while, I proceeded
again on a fresh Horse (sending Mrs. M. home in the Carriage by the Main Road –)
to explore the Ground marked out for the Township of Pitt-Town in the Nelson
District. – This Ground is not so good or so conveniently situated for the
Settlers in general as might be wished, it being not less than 3½ miles from
some few of the Front Farms; but no better is to be had, and therefore there is
no alternative left but to place the Town on these Heights – and which I have
accordingly determined on. — The Township has consequently been marked out for
the Nelson District and named "Pitt-Town"; the Great Square, Burying Ground, and
principal Streets being all marked by Strong Posts, describing their respective
limits accurately; and the Post with the name of the Town nailed to it, has been
erected in the Center of the Great Square. —

Having marked out Pitt-Town, and surveyed the whole of the Grounds accurately, we
all returned home to Windsor, where we did not arrive till Six O'Clock, and then
sat down to a good Dinner, finding Mrs. M. safely arrived at home some time before us. —

Saturday 12th. Jany. 1811. —
After Breakfast this morning I
rode out attended by the two Surveyors, the Revd. Mr. Cartwright, Mr. Cox, and
some other Gentlemen to examine and survey more particularly the Ground marked
out for the Town and Township of Windsor – which having finally fixed on and
approved of, a strong Post with the Board on which is painted the name of the
Town (– Windsor –) was this forenoon erected on the Scite [sic] of the intended
new Church, fronting the north face of the Great Square; a great number of the
Settlers and Inhabitants being present when the Post was erected. —

I proceeded afterwards to survey proper Ground for marking out the Glebe (– 400 acres –) for the resident clergyman of Windsor, and which was at length fixed on
in a very convenient eligible situation within two miles of the Town of Windsor
and four miles of that of Richmond, the Land being very good both for Tillage and
Pasturage, and extremely well watered, having a large Lagoon forming the northern
Boundary of it. — Here accordingly I directed the Surveyor to mark out a Glebe
of 400 acres for the resident Chaplain to be held by him in Trust and by regular
grant; and the Revd. Mr. Cartwright has expressed himself highly pleased with the
Selection thus made for him.—

After returning from marking out the Glebe, I walked over the whole of the
present Village on the Green Hills, forming the beginning or Basis for the Town
of Windsor, in which I planned a Square and several new Streets; directing the
old ones to be enlarged and improved in various respects, and at [the] same time
marking out several new allotments in the Town for building new Houses according
to a prescribed Plan not to be deviated from. — I gave Mr. Fitzgerald a large
allotment in the Square on the express condition of his building immediately
thereon a handsome commodious Inn – of Brick or Stone and to be at least two
stories high. —The principal street in the present Town of Windsor, running in
a westerly direction from Government Garden or Domain towards the new Township, I
have called George Street in honor of his present most gracious Majesty, and
which street from the, present Square to the new intended one in the Township,
will be nearly an English mile long. — The Square in the present Town I have
named "Thompson Square", in honor of the memory of the good and worthy late
Andrew Thompson Esqr. Justice of Peace & Principal Magistrate for this District
– and who may justly be said to be the Father and Founder of the Village
hitherto known by the name of the Green Hills; there being hardly a vestage [sic]
of a single Building here, excepting the Government Granary, when he first came
to reside on the Green Hills ten years ago. — I had a Post erected this
afternoon in Thompson Square, having a Board nailed thereon with the name painted
on it in large characters; a similar Post and Board having been previously
erected at the Eastern extremity of George Street to mark out that street as the
main or principal one in the Town of Windsor. — I have now finished all my plans
and arrangements for the five new Townships of Windsor, Richmond, Castlereagh,
Pitt-Town and Wilberforce, and trust ere long to see them all in a flourishing
and thriving state. —

The Revd. Mr. & Mrs. Cartwright, Mr. Cox, Dr. Mileham and Mr. Fitzgerald dined
with us this day – and we again drank success and prosperity to the new
Townships. —

Sunday 13th. Jany. 1811. —
Mrs. Macquarie and myself went to
Church at Windsor, and had an excellent Sermon from the Revd. Mr. Cartwright.

We had Mr. Cox & his wife & Family, Mrs. Bell, Mr. & Mrs. Evans, Dr. and Miss
Arndells, Dr. Mileham and several other Friends to dine with us today previous to
our return to Sydney. —

Monday 14th. Jany. —
Set out immediately after
Breakfast from Windsor, and arrived at Government House at Parramatta at 1,O'Clock; our Servants & Baggage having been sent off thither very early in the
morning.—

Tuesday 15th. Jany.—
Set out from Parramatta at 10,O'Clock this morning, and
arrived at the Government House at Sydney at half past 11 O'Clock in the
forenoon. —

L.M.

Finis —

Source
Macquarie, Lachlan. Journal of a Tour of Governor Macquarie's first Inspection of the Interior of the Colony 6 November 1810 - 15 January 1811.
Original held in the Mitchell Library, Sydney.
ML Ref: A778 pp.71-80; [Microfilm Reel CY302 Frames #505-514].

Friday 18th. Jany. —
This being the Queen's Birth-Day, I recd the Complimts. of the Gentlemen Civil & Mily. – and gave a Ball & Supper to the Ladies & Gentlemen of the Settlement at Night — Persons having sat down to Supper. —

Thursday 31st Jany. 1811!
The 73d. Regt. was reviewed by me in the morning and I gave a Public Dinner to the Officers of the Regt. and their Ladies; Mrs. M. giving a Concert in the Evening, at which some other Ladies attended; this being the anniversary of my Birth-Day.